Just one guy: reading, reviewing, living the dream. I read it all! Particularly a fan of the New Adult genre, most Young Adult, Historical Fiction, and anything Paranormal! Check me out for a review or contact me for a suggestion!

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Sunday, December 6, 2015

In Too Deep (Hacker #2) by Sherry D. Ficklin Review

Hey readers! Ethan here with my second review for the evening and another sequel at that. I am making my way through some incredible series lately and I'm so excited to share my thoughts on this one with you. On the chopping block tonight? In Too Deep, the second installment in the #Hacker series by the incredible Sherry D. Ficklin. Before we get to my thoughts, here's a bit about the novel and our author:

One talented hacker.

One dead body.One explosive secret.

When one reckless night leads Farris Barnett to the dead body of a classmate, she's as willing as everyone else to write it off as a suicide. That is, until cryptic messages start coming in from someone who knows the truth, and they want Farris on the case. Putting her hacker skills to work, she begins to unravel the life of a victim who might just have been the guiltiest of them all.Her personal life in turmoil, Farris turns to the only person she can trust to help her get to the bottom of things—a friend on the verge of becoming much more. Together, they confront a killer with a secret not even she could have decoded.

The biggest bombs, the ones that do the most damage, are the ones you never see coming.

Sherry D. Ficklin

Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.

Last month you guys got a glimpse of my thoughts on the first novel in this series, Playing with Fire. I openly admitted that it wasn't my favorite Ficklin novel and that while I still enjoyed it, it fell flatter than I generally would have liked from one of my favorite author. Now, that being said, I totally understand that the first novel in a series involves a whole lot of groundwork that sets up the series and generally does drag more for this reader. Several people told me that book two would blow me away, I was extremely skeptical, but I knew with Sherry at the helm I'd get a quality read regardless.

I have to say that I actually didn't enjoy this read as much as book one. I LOVED IT SO MUCH MORE. Can I curse in my review? Holy hell guys. Woah Nelly. This book absolutely blew book one out of the water. Like so hard that it's half a mile up shore waiting for someone to bring it back to the beach. Guys. So, Much. Better. I honestly don't know that I've seen a series change this quickly for me, but Sherry did it with In Too Deep.

From the very first page we pick up shortly after where Playing with Fire left off. Except we have an entirely new story, a new Farris, and a whole new mystery to solve. This one is extremely fast paced, but the story line is great. With new characters, new loves, new suspects, and a whole new twist on deck, Can Farris solve the case before the killers strike again? I read this entire novel in two sittings, I honestly could not put it down. You won't either once you get hooked by Ficklin and this gripping plot!

The character development in this novel was amazing. In book one, I found huge fault with Farris' character. I found her to be immature and a little annoying, much like most teenagers. In Too Deep features a far different Farris. A Farris changed by the events of book one and being forced to grow up quickly in one of the harshest of ways: alone. With her father sent away on deployment, Farris is left to her own devices. While this may be many teenager's dream, for Farris there is so much more at stake. With the help of her friends, Farris is able to overcome an incredible tough time in her life. This character development for Farris is one of the very best I have seen out of Ficklin to-date. Keep in mind that I'm something of a Ficklin-Fanatic so I know a thing or two about her characters and writing style. The other characters were also written to perfection and I couldn't have been more pleased with the end result. There's a major spoiler involved here, so I'm trying to stay away from it, but let me just say that there is a massive change in Farris' love life from book one and I am a huge supporter of this change. Trust me guys, you'll have to read it to believe it!

In true Ficklin form, this novel deals with so many hard-hitting themes. Depression, overcoming ones fears, maturity, friendship, love, and so many others come to mind. While this novel explores so many fun aspects of a sci-fi mystery, at its' heart is the story of a teenage girl just trying to make it through high school. It's the perfect combination of fun and feels.

The mystery aspect of this story was pretty great. While I had somewhat figured out the plot of book one long before the finale, this one kept me guessing from page one. I love the insight that the reader gets into the minds of Ficklin's characters as the reader solves the crime in realtime with them. It's one fun-filled adventure!

As far as content goes, in true Ficklin-fashion she's pushing the genre to its' limits. Readers take heed of the content warning for this one as there is language and adult content abound. Though, to be honest if you reading this there's a good chance you're familiar with Ficklin's special brand of writing! Don't let it deter you.

No spoilers here, but this novel ends on one crazy cliffhanger. One cliffhanger that I can honestly say I never say coming and boy-howdy did it bring the feels. I have huge theories about what we can expect in Digital Horizon (book three, due out in February 2016) pertaining to this cliffhanger, but I cannot wait to see what happens.

As you guys can see, I was absolutely blown away by this incredible installment to the #Hacker series. I am on pins and needles anticipating the release of book three! I know this reader will be devouring anything he can get his hands on. That being said, it should come as no surprise that I am granting In Too Deep by Sherry D. Ficklin a near-perfect 5-star review. A highly recommended read for all fans of Young Adult lit, sci-fi, mystery, and romance readers. You will not be disappointed, add this read to your TBR today!

*****

Don't miss out on book one, available now for FREE!

Click the cover below for more info and to read my thoughts!

Alright folks, that's all I have for you on the topic of In Too Deep by the incredible Sherry D. Ficklin. You guys all know she's one of my all-time favorite authors and this read only cemented that even further! Don't miss it! Until next time, Happy Reading!